Taking the stress out of routine inspections
Routine inspections are part and parcel of renting a property, and for many renters they can be a source of stress. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
When you know what to expect, you can breeze through a routine inspection in the knowledge it’s all about protecting the interests of the property.
Know what to expect
Contrary to popular belief, routine inspections aren’t an assessment of your housekeeping skills. Instead, they’re a way of ensuring the property is being looked after and that any potential repair and maintenance issues are identified early.
Occurring a maximum of four times a year and at least three months apart, these inspections see the property manager attend the residence and walk through the home, assessing both the interior and exterior condition.
Basically, this inspection is designed to make sure the property remains in a similar condition to when the rental agreement began, including ensuring:
- There’s no damage to the home
- It’s being kept in good repair
- Rental agreement conditions are being met
- There are no upcoming issues that might need maintenance and/or repairs
A bit at a time
While a routine inspection isn’t about your cleaning skills, the property should be tidy when the property manager attends.
They should be able to see that the fixtures and fittings at the residence are being looked after.
For example, they may check the oven to ensure there’s no build-up of grease and grime, or they may look at the fans to make sure no dust has built up, which would ultimately cause the fans to rust.
In the bathroom, they may also check there’s no soap scum building up on the shower screens and bath, and outside, they will be looking to ensure the garden isn’t in danger of becoming overgrown.
If you’re looking to make the process stress-free, it’s a good idea to start preparing for the inspection a week or so in advance by tidying the yard, cleaning the bathrooms and casting a critical eye over the property.
By keeping the property generally tidy and then tending to a few minor things prior to the inspection, the whole process is a lot easier.
Any repairs or maintenance
It’s important to remember, the main aim or the routine inspection is to ensure the property is in good condition. And part of that involves identifying any repairs or maintenance that may need to be undertaken.
If you know of something which needs to be repaired or have an idea of maintenance that needs to be completed, the routine inspection is an ideal time to flag that with the property manager.
